1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the refrigerated produce rack art and more particularly, to covers for refrigerated produce racks.
2. Background Art
Produce for sale in supermarkets that is subject to rapid spoilage is typically displayed in an open refrigerated produce rack. The display surface for the produce rack is elevated to a convenient height for viewing by the consumer. Piles of produce are placed on the display surface. The rear of the display surface is usually slightly elevated allowing the consumer to see both the front and back of the piles. Cold air produced by the refrigeration equipment flows up through the display surface cooling the produce positioned thereon.
Spoilage of produce is caused by several factors: oxidation, bruising, fungal and bacterial growth, and wilting. The cold air cools the produce thereby reducing the rate of oxidation, the ability of fungi and bacteria to grow, and the rate at which water evaporates.
Water is usually sprayed periodically onto the produce from a hose by an employee. The water replaces water that has previously evaporated from the surface of the produce. The renewal of the water on the surface of the produce serves two functions: to avoid the drawing of water from inside the produce and the concomitant wilting, and to further cool the produce by drawing heat energy from the produce during the evaporation process.
At the close of the business day, an employee may have to spend several hours breaking down the produce rack by removing all or a portion of the produce from the rack, packing and wetting the produce, cleaning the produce rack, and storing the produce in a refrigerated area. Prior to the opening of the store, an employee must set up the produce rack by bringing the stored produce from the regrigerated area, unpacking and placing the produce into the produce rack, culling any spoiled produce, and watering the displayed produce. During the business day, an employee must monitor the produce rack to cull spoiled produce and periodically water the produce. Inherent in the present method is the problem of increased spoilage due to the mechanical handling of the produce during the different steps leading to bruising and cross contamination by fungi and bacteria from other produce.
Numerous U.S. patents have been issued for various types of conditioned air display cases and accessories for stores, for example: U.S. Pat. Nos. 431,509 to Dernell; 2,305,435 to McAfee; 2,492,695 to Henderson; 2,518,134 to Fredenhagen et al.; 2,625,806 to Kennedy; 3,542,445 to Donker; 4,109,484 to Cunningham; 4,117,698 to Vogel; 4,186,790 to Schenker et al.; 4,288,992 to Eliason; 4,296,792 to Gidge et al; 4,312,396 to McKinnon et al.; and 4,392,360 to Gidge et al.
Dernell, McAfee and Kennedy are specifically for the display of vegetables and have water sprayers to provide moisture. McAfee and Kennedy have sloping display areas and electric time switches to spray the produce with water automatically.
In order to keep the conditioned air inside the display cases, barriers are sometimes provided to retain the conditioned air inside the cases. Door type barriers having transparent windows are disclosed in the above identified patents to Dernell, Henderson, and Fredenhagen et al. allowing the customer to identify a desired item inside through the windows and then open the doors to retrieve the item. Flexible sheet type barriers that are not transparent are disclosed in Donker, Eliason, Cunningham, Marshall, and Eliason primarily for use during hours when the store is closed. Schenker, Eliason, Gidge et al. (both), and McKinnon et al. disclose flexible transparent strip curtains that allow the customer to see the merchandise and reach between two strips to retrieve a desired item. All of the flexible covers are for substantially vertical display cabinets with multiple shelves. None of the prior art display cases having sloped display areas primarily for vegetables have covers of any kind.